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The above text is taken from extracts of the book ‘The RVer’s Ultimate Survival Guide’ with acknowledgements to Neil LeKander (original author), Peter Wallis, Peter Anderson, Peter Bullock, Peter Gosbell, Guy Minter, Malcolm Street and in particular Collyn Rivers who gave permission to reproduce extracts from his book ‘The Campervan & Motorhome Book’
We will be splitting this very important topic into five parts which will appear in this and later editions of The Wanderer.
Certainly nothing is more frightening to contemplate than a fire in our RV. Whether it’s driving down the highway or bar-b-queuing our dinner on the grill, we are dealing with components, materials and activities which if not carefully monitored and controlled could present a fire hazard. When you combine all of the aspects of RVing life and consider all the potential ramifications of the equipment utilised in our RVs i.e. the propane system, 12 Vdc, 240 Vac electrical systems, automotive fuel (petrol or diesel), and heavily loaded vehicles working at their maximum at all times we begin to recognise the potential for fire exists.
Indeed fire is a terrifying thought within the tight confine of an RV. Fire is one of those potentialities in life that few of us ever have the need to face “up front and personal”. For continuing safe RVing the study of the whole subject of fire safety and repetition of that material is essential for RVers and others on board the RV. The pictures above provide an excellent illustration of this topic and the information presented in this section. Those photographs show a motorhome which experienced a highway fire and a relatively minor interior fire that might be typical of many thousands which occur each year. These fires and countless others happened to experienced RVers with nearly new equipment and seemingly not a care in the world. The occupants escaped these fires with severe burns and shock in the one illustration where the fire was quickly put out by fellow RVers, in the other case the RV burned to the chassis line in minutes. In the interior fire, two or three small dry powder extinguishers were used without success until a fellow RVer fresh from a Fire & Life training class used his newly purchased “foam” extinguisher to finally put out the flames. While tragic, this story was a great success story in that the injuries incurred were not life threatening, the RV and surrounding RVs were not destroyed and many RVers got a million dollar education in the fire hazards present and how to handle them. We should all be so lucky.
As another example of fire destroying a motorhome, following is an extract from an article which appeared on page 11 of the November 1988 edition of The Wanderer. The accompanying photo shows the damage done to the subject motorhome.
“…..We stopped outside the caravan park and were both in the shop, having paid our fees, purchasing goods etc. A short time had passed, about ten minutes or so, when a man burst into the shop shouting a van was on fire. We rushed out and found flames engulfing the rear of our beloved and treasured motorhome. The siren was sounding from the fire station which was only fifty metres away; in less than a minute a fire engine was beside our van spraying water onto the blazing fire. A man arrives with a fire extinguisher, dry chemical; quells the fire slightly, then it was washed off by water. You feel helpless, we can only watch and hope for the best, you hear the volunteer fireman shout in frustration, “That’s no good, we need foam”. The fire blazes in all its fury, they, the fire fighters valiantly try to save our van with no avail. Some forty minutes have gone, the gas bottle explodes. It takes just on one hour to put the fire out. (We had filled our petrol tanks at the previous town). ………………….. Is it frustration or anger, when you and your wife are standing in the street, with only the clothes you are wearing, over 1000 km from home, a gutted shell of a motorhome being towed away, you feel numb, a police officer is taking notes, the crowd has grown in size, you start to hear different comments and stories all twisted and guesswork. The police officer continues; asking questions, you try to answer to the best of your ability the sequence of events leading up to what has happened. It may have been this; it could have been that… You recall a slight smell of petrol as a truck overtakes you on entering the town… You are informed that a fuel leak apparently developed along the road prior to stopping, the heating up of the motor together with the fuel leaking onto the hot exhaust pipe and the next thing fire…. A fire that could have been minimised quite easily with the right equipment……”
For thousands of us there is nothing in life that compares favourably with the RVing lifestyle for freedom, education, flexibility and downright enjoyment of life. The RVing life can encompass a multitude of forms. It ranges from weekend camping, to gatherings at a wide variety of events, the means by which the growing family can escape for that much needed two-week vacation, to those of us who wish to escape the colder southern states in winter and head north for warmth and sunshine. RVing embraces all these uses and even includes the full-timer who calls his RV his “home”. In the admittedly tight confines of our RVs certainly nothing is more frightening to contemplate than a fire.
Whether it’s driving down the highway or bar-b-queuing our dinner on the grill we are utilising and dealing with components, materials and activities which if not carefully monitored and controlled could present a serious fire hazard When you combine all the aspects of RVing life and consider all of the potential ramifications of the equipment utilised in our RVs, for instance the liquid fuel carried on board, the propane system, 12- Vdc and 240 Vac electrical systems, automotive fuel (petrol or diesel), and our heavily loaded vehicles working at their maximum at all times we begin to recognise that the potential for fire exists. If we are going to continue the RVing lifestyle in comfort and safety it is essential that we immediately begin the process of fireproofing our lives and our vehicles.
The fire proofing process is not as intimidating as it would first appear. What is required is an understanding of the hazards around us and the creation of a “plan” designed to put into action what you will learn in this Fire Safety Handbook. Combined with a constant diligence in maintaining our vehicle in a safe condition and operating it within its limitations this knowledge could save your life. What better reason is there to get comfortable and get busy now?
As we travel the highways in our RVs enjoying all the wonderful beauty of this country and the lifestyle that RVing has to offer, we must constantly remind ourselves that the world is also filled with hazards. Occasionally we come upon an accident or some other incident on the highway that serves to remind us (ever so briefly) that indeed we must keep up our guard lest such misfortunes befall us. Some of those lessons are obvious while others are much more subtle; all should be taken fully to heart. Sometimes an object is damaged by a direct physical action; for example the scratch left in the paint when we travel too close to the tree branches or when our clothes are torn or stretched when we walk too close to a nail in a wall. That scratch or tear is a “Witness Mark” to the action which caused it. As we look around we are constantly reminded by “Witness Marks” of the hazards and conditions that can render damage to our body or property and we are intuitively warned to take caution. When driving, much of what we routinely observe is a “Witness Mark” provoking similar caution. The roadway itself can often bear evidence of the serious consequences that are potentially lurking, waiting to victimise the unsuspecting motorist. No “Witness Mark” is more important than the vehicle burn marks found along the shoulders of roadways. Get in the habit of noting the roadside burn marks, as they are vivid reminders of the hazards confronting motorists from fire. When observed take just a moment to reflect that someone, perhaps a fellow RVer, saw his happiness to be “on the road” dashed at that very location. Recognise also that there are many more possible causes of vehicle fires in RVs than one would anticipate. With their tremendous complexity and extreme operating environment RVs are seriously threatened by fire which, once ignited, will leave the very same “Witness Mark” or burn patch alongside the roadway for others to observe and wonder as to its cause and consequence.
As you travel the highways you should make a point to note and count the vehicle fire “Witness Marks”. Those observations should then serve as a perfect reminder of the day-to-day hazards facing each of us. Take those sombre moments to renew your personal conviction to avoid all possible fire hazards in your RVing life.
Without fire mankind would not exist, as we know it today. Many movies depict the importance of fire to primitive and modern mankind by illustrating the quest of early man to obtain and control fire. Today fire is ever more useful even essential in our lives. In our stoves it cooks our food and heats our water, and in our refrigerators it keeps our food cold. In campgrounds it gives us heat, light and comfort. All of these positive uses of fires are possible because the fire in each case is carefully controlled. A controlled fire is one that starts, stops and burns at a rate that is appropriate for our usage. It is only when fire gets “out of control” that it is dangerous, very dangerous. Each year, worldwide, there are approximately 20,000 uncontrolled RV fires, destroying about 6300 RVs and killing approximately 20 RVers. The figures for Australia are relatively low but certainly no cause for complacency. Approximately 125 uncontrolled RV fires per year and about six RVs destroyed. If you understand how fire works, you will be better able to protect yourself from its dangers.
In order for fire to occur, four elements must be present. If any one or more of these four basic components is missing, a fire will not burn.
We will be looking at the four basic components of fire in next month’s edition of The Wanderer.
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